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Thursday, 17 August 2017

The 'crisis' in UK's prison system that lead toat a Hertfordshire prison won't be resolved by reforms put forward by the Justice Secretary, say campaigners.
Two days of rioting broke out at HMP The Mount on July 31 and August 1
after inmates were reportedly kept on lockdown in their cells for three
consecutive weekends.

Prisons expert Alex Cavendish said
'reliable sources' informed him the situation was 'about to blow' as
overworked, inexperienced and greatly outnumbered guards grew
increasingly stressed.
In an Evening Standard column on
Monday (August 14), Justice Secretary David Lidington revealed he aims
to hire 2,500 prison officers over the next 18 months.

"The Mount kicked off because there weren't enough prison guards, staff don't want to work there anymore," said Ms Morrison.

"Two
years ago The Mount was considered a good prison. Now there is no
actual rehabilitation, we work with families of prisoners there who say
they're locked in their cell for 23 hours in a day at times.

"Good luck getting 2,500 prison officers. The number is one thing but
they all need to be good at this job. These reforms are just a sticking
plaster."
A serving IPP prisoner (inmates with no
release date), known simply as 'serving ipp' on Twitter, was given a
minimum sentence of two years for aggravated burglary but 12 years later
he is still waiting for a release date.
He has been moved around 20 prisons over his sentence but said he is in regular contact with friends in The Mount.@ServingIpp

Prisoners were kept behind cell doors for 23 hours at a time, according to campaigners"Over
the time I've been away, the prison system as a whole has deteriorated
drastically since all the cuts and all the decent 'old school' staff
have picked up and left, leaving behind underpaid, under-qualified,
under-trained prison staff," he told the Mercury.

"There
is no help, support or rehabilitation on offer whatsoever. The
conditions are squalid and horrible. Three showers or less on a wing
with 100 prisoners, for example.

"The ventilation is poor and the majority or the prisons are falling apart and not fit for purpose.

"The food is poor and inadequate, this is beyond me as side effects of
hunger are depression and aggression. Just feeding prisoners adequately
would surely reduce many problems.heese served in prison with what looks like mould

"The Justice Secretary's proposals are what prisons should be offering
as standard, and it's the same s**t they have been promising for years."

He lifted the lid on the Tornado squad sent in to quell the riots at
The Mount, claiming a friend of his 'got battered, had his head busted
open and put on the bus in his boxers and handcuffed'.

He added even prisoners not involved in the riots 'would have been
battered with sticks, hit with shields and thrown down stairs'.

Statistics seem to support repeated claims made to the Mercury
concerning staff shortages in The Mount, and certainly the region as a
whole.

The number of prison staff leaving jobs in East of England prisons has increased by more than a tenth since 2010.

A total of 317 staff left in the year to March 2017, up from 286 in March 2010

From this total, 170 resigned, 22 were dismissed for medical inefficiency and 63 retired.

Across prisons in England and Wales, there were 4,036 leavers in the
past year, an increase of 381 (10.4 per cent) compared to the previous
year.

This includes 3,105 leavers from Prison Service
Establishment, 699 from the National Probation Service, and 232 from
National Offender Management Service HQ and area services.

@ServingIpp

Prisoners unhappy with 'inadequate' food

Mr Lidington's new recruits will form a part of the key-worker scheme,
which would train officers to work closely with six offenders to form a
closer relationship.

He will also introduce more CCTV, crack down on usage of mobile phones, and improve education and training in prisons.

However, Cody Lachey, who served time at Strangeways Prison in
Manchester and now campaigns for changes in the prison system, dismissed
Mr Lidington's reforms as a 'PR exercise'.

"These
reforms aren't practical, they can't retain staff and officers are
overwhelmed and have low morale, at times working in a wing of 100
inmates with just three guards," he said.

"They wouldn't
need 2,500 guards if they didn't have so many prisoners. There are too
many, and IPP prisoners are in for too long.

"David
Lidington should be talking to the people he wants to reform – the
prisoners. I am desperate to work with the Ministry of Justice, they
need to start working with prison reform campaigners."

@ServingIpp

An exercise book dating back to 1985, according to serving ipp

He painted a bleak picture of life on the inside, describing bad food
and mental health issues exacerbated by being locked up without any
education or training for reintegration in society.

Nearly half of the offenders sent to prison break the law again once
they're out – costing the taxpayer between £9.5 and £13 billion
annually.

Mr Lachey said he was given £46 on his release
with a £5 bus fare, which would have been no help for him were it not
for his mum who offered to house him.

@ServingIpp

Prisoners live in 'squalid conditions', according to serving Ipp

"You make friends with people in crime gangs in prison and, if you get
out and don't have a family to support you, you turn to contacts you
made on the inside," he said

"Prisoners are kept like
caged animals. We need to break this cycle of crime and a way of doing
that is to reduce violence in prison."

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.

katherine Gleeson

Come on David Lidington do somthing for once and for all.What the hell is goverment doing ? If you cant do your job get out.

COMMENTS

Mary My Son is sucidal, he,s my only Son. Im getting old, if he goes im going with him.

RumbleFor god sake when will the government prioritise these cases, its a bloody disgrace

StockerWhy oh why do we keep hearing we need more warden's, because of over crowding. Get rid of IPP prisoners that would solve a big problem. Also there's all this talk about keeping relationships going maybe somebody could tell me why my Grandson has been put 360miles approx.round trip. I can't afford the cost, and I don't get around well, at my age. When I wrote to the Prison, lovely reply, but to my grandson why did we want him moved? The thing is he is nearer the area he has to keep away from. He is supposed to go on a course, a prisoner who was in there after him, got the place. Pure bloody mindness.

PiercyYes hun it's become so draining why do they not understand this ipp sentence is the issue and once they release them they will not have the over crowding and self harming and so on they know full fact that this is a big issue that they need to tackle now like it's become a joke that they still get away of keeping own ipp inside like animals am really sick of it all... Sorry just really have no more patient for it anymore xx

He is sat behind a cage like an animal’

August 15 2017, 12:01am, The Times

The prison system has been unable to provide the education and therapy judged

James Ward was serving a 12-month term for arson but while in jail set fire to the mattress in his cell and received an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) with a tariff, or minimum term, of ten months. That was 11 years ago; Ward, now 32, is still in jail.

April Ward, his sister, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme yesterday that he was constantly watched due to his self-harming, adding: “He’s literally sat behind a cage like an animal where (other prisoners) walk past and point and laugh at him. How is that humane?”

She added: “I know he’s got the plan to kill himself if he doesn’t get what he needs. If he doesn’t get released I know, I can just see it.”

Nick Hardwick, chairman of the Parole Board, praised the bravery of the Ward family for raising their concerns and told the programme: “I think the Ward family was very brave in coming forward like they did.

The description they gave of that young man in a cell, which will have iron bars outside it, with an officer sitting outside the cell so (they) can constantly watch the prisoner inside, that’s happening to hundreds and hundreds of prisoners and we know from the reports that are practically weekly on your programme that the prisons system is simply unable to care for prisoners with that level of need.

“We know IPP prisoners are three times more likely to self-harm as other prisoners. We need to get a grip on this problem.”

Thousands of inmates serving years beyond their minimum term

David Lidington, the justice secretary, was urged yesterday to “get a grip” on more than 3,300 prisoners who are still in jail despite having served more than their minimum sentence as set by the courts.

The inmates are serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) in England and Wales, with 85 per cent of them having served longer than their minimum term or tariff.

Official figures show that 224 of them had served between six and ten years longer than the tariff laid down by the court. Forty-eight offenders given a minimum term of less than two years have been in jail for ten years or more.

Nick Hardwick, chairman of the Parole Board, said that hundreds of prisoners were in jail several years beyond their minimum tariff, and many were prone to self-harm. “The levels of suicide, assault and self-harm are unacceptably high,” he said. “It’s the fault of political and policy decisions that should have been put right two years ago.”

Mr Hardwick, a former chief inspector of prisons, urged Mr Lidington to take action, adding: “We need to get a grip on this. Michael Gove agreed to a series of changes and then was sacked before he had the chance to do it, when he was justice minister.”

Katherine Gleeson

THE QUESTION IS WHO JOB IS IT TO GET A GRIP ON THE IPP?

MOJ ? The Ministry of "no justice,is not worth the paper there writern on.

The Parole Board? Have demostrated change however lack support from MOJ.

David Lidington? The justice secretary has done nothing but pass the buck. He is the only one who can "STOP THE TORTURE ". He has the power apply the Implementation of section 128 of LASPO .

If section 128 of LASPO is not appled the MOJ will do nothing like they have done nothing for years regardles of the protests from the familys, "So who else is left to blame?

I urge David Lidington to do the right thing and use the power he holds to make change.

The chair of the Parole Board has expressed his frustration at the government’s failure to “get a grip” on the issue of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences under the discredited imprisonment for public protection (IPP) programme.

There are 3,300 people in England and Wales on IPPs in jail with no release date, Nick Hardwick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. The scheme was abolished in 2012.

He said hundreds of prisoners were serving time several years over the minimum tariffs set for them, and many were prone to self-harm as a result.

“The levels of suicide, assault, and self-harm is unacceptably high. It’s the fault of political and policy decisions that should have been put right two years ago,” Hardwick, a former chief inspector of prisons, said.

He described IPPs as a blot on the system when he was appointed to the Parole Board post more than a year ago. Now he is urging the justice secretary, David Lidington, to introduce urgent changes of the type agreed by the former justice secretary Michael Gove before he was replaced by Liz Truss.

Hardwick said: “We need to get a grip on this problem. Michael Gove agreed to a whole series of changes and then was sacked before he had the chance to do it, when he was justice minister.”

Relatives of one prisoner on an IPP said he was suicidal after being “left to rot”. In 2006, James Ward, from Nottinghamshire, was given an IPP for arson with a minimum tariff of 10 months. Eleven years later he is still in prison with no release date after his parole hearings were repeatedly delayed. Wards family heartfelt message to BBC News : Video in link, left side press on red box.

Hardwick said Ward’s case illustrated the plight of many. “The description the Ward family gave of that young man is happening to hundreds and hundreds,” he said. “The prison system is simply unable to care for a prisoner with that level of need at the moment.”

He said delays in releasing prisoners on IPPs could be reduced if the onus switched to the state to prove they were a danger to the public if they were released.

Hardwick said: “Some of those delays are down to the Parole Board, but we are making good progress in putting those right. But the other main reason for the delay is that it is so difficult for somebody in that young man’s position to meet the legal test of demonstrating that they are not going to commit a serious offence in future.

“For people with a tariff or punishment part of their sentence of less than two years, the onus should be on the state to prove they are likely to commit a further offence, rather than for them to prove they are not.

“We can do something about the IPP problem without compromising the safety of the public.”

He also pointed out that scarce staff resourcing was being tied up in monitoring prisoners like Ward.

“Every prison officer you’ve got on constant watch looking at a prisoner in this situation is not somebody walking the wings, doing the rehabilitative work with other prisoners,” Hardwick said.

“If we allow resources to be drained away to this extent, then it threatens the security of us all.”

The Ministry of Justice says it is working closely with the Parole Board to process the cases as quickly as possible.

A spokeswoman said: “We are determined to address the challenge of making sure all IPP prisoners have the support they need to show they are no longer a threat to public safety ... Earlier this year, we set up a new unit focused on this and improving the efficiency of the parole process.

“This work is continuing to achieve results, with 576 IPP releases in 2016; the highest number of annual releases since the sentence became available in 2005.”

comments

RumbleFor god sake when will the government prioritise these cases, its a bloody disgraceHang on all you in there people are praying for you

Robinson just to put in the pot about the government from the previous ministers, the ones that was previously in the seat, say for the current minister to grow a back bone and change something but why didn't the one before you and the one before you. This is to shift the hate from them as they are all full of crap!!! They could actually grow a pair and put the pen to paper. let them out.

DeeKing2h2 hours agoHi Katherine, hoping to speak to you about an IPP piece on LBC radio today. Or other family's could you DM for details please? Thanks.

GravesThese sentences are diabolical and to be honest I would be suicidal when in their situation my son has been in over eight years of a three year recommendation. Anyone in this situation please try and hang on as best you can

BennettMy brother had a 5yr IPP with a 2 yr tariff in 2007 and his still in too its wrong.

RhodesMy son had a 4 year IPP sentence in 2005 and is still in despite doing every course under the sun. Who wouldn't lose hope and get frustrated?

Mine had a 18month tariff was release in 2012 was recalled bk in 2014 still inside bars... He is over 9 years now.

TaitFree the IPP my bro just done 7 for a 5 year n is still in now n my cuson got 18months back in 2003 and has done 12years .And in still in there to this day free all the IPP prisoners.PiercyAnd why he recalled bk well they thou ok let messed him up more by going into his flat and beating him up so police officers did so and he is the one being punished and they abuse their powers they call it protecting the pupil yeah hell with that how is that protecting the pupil it ain't it's a load of bullocks.

BennettIts wrong on so many levels they meant to rehabilitate u but they make u crazy

Mike FordI befriended a man locked up now for over 12 years, given an 18 month IPP. Nothing will get better unless we transfer our despair and anger relentlessly to the politicians who have the power - no point if we stop at discussing it among ourselves. Some may say do the time OK, but not six times over the time with no end in prospect - this issue is well beyond banal platitude.

PiercyMine had a 18month tariff was release in 2012 was recalled bk in 2014 still inside bars... He is over 9 years now.ZingRegarding James Ward BBC News why did nick Hardwick and the government not do more more for IPP Prisoners, i know james ward and he should have been released before me, and many who were released before me shouldnt have been,he doesnt need mental health assesments from prison with no release date which is obviously whats causing this problem, i met him when he was self harming and there is nothing wrong with him, if there is no i dont give a fuck thats nick hardwick fault, i come off license i want to have a meeting with him.

Comments

DeeKing2h2 hours agoHi Katherine, hoping to speak to you about an IPP piece on LBC radio today. Or other family's could you DM for details please? Thanks.

GravesThese sentences are diabolical and to be honest I would be suicidal when in their situation my son has been in over eight years of a three year recommendation. Anyone in this situation please try and hang on as best you can

BennettMy brother had a 5yr IPP with a 2 yr tariff in 2007 and his still in too its wrong.

RhodesMy son had a 4 year IPP sentence in 2005 and is still in despite doing every course under the sun. Who wouldn't lose hope and get frustrated?

Mine had a 18month tariff was release in 2012 was recalled bk in 2014 still inside bars... He is over 9 years now.

TaitFree the IPP my bro just done 7 for a 5 year n is still in now n my cuson got 18months back in 2003 and has done 12years .And in still in there to this day free all the IPP prisoners.PiercyAnd why he recalled bk well they thou ok let messed him up more by going into his flat and beating him up so police officers did so and he is the one being punished and they abuse their powers they call it protecting the pupil yeah hell with that how is that protecting the pupil it ain't it's a load of bullocks.

BennettIts wrong on so many levels they meant to rehabilitate u but they make u crazy

Mike FordI befriended a man locked up now for over 12 years, given an 18 month IPP. Nothing will get better unless we transfer our despair and anger relentlessly to the politicians who have the power - no point if we stop at discussing it among ourselves. Some may say do the time OK, but not six times over the time with no end in prospect - this issue is well beyond banal platitude.

PiercyMine had a 18month tariff was release in 2012 was recalled bk in 2014 still inside bars... He is over 9 years now.ZingRegarding James Ward BBC News why did nick Hardwick and the government not do more more for IPP Prisoners, i know james ward and he should have been released before me, and many who were released before me shouldnt have been,he doesnt need mental health assesments from prison with no release date which is obviously whats causing this problem, i met him when he was self harming and there is nothing wrong with him, if there is no i dont give a fuck thats nick hardwick fault, i come off license i want to have a meeting with him.

Stop 'IPP Double Punishment' of Foreign Nationals

Deportation after completing a prison sentence is a secondary or 'Double punishment'.

'Double punishment' offends all rules of natural justice and is not simply unjust it is blatantly racist as it only affects foreign nationals.

Double punishment, can also be used to punish the UK family of a convicted foreign national, even though they had nothing to do with the crime.There are approximately 12,000 foreign nationals in the UK prison system.

It is a fundamental principle of UK law that a person cannot be punished twice for the same offence. If you have committed an offence that society deems a crime and sentenced to a term of imprisonment by a magistrate, judge or judge and jury, once you have completed your sentence, you are released from prison as it is deemed you have repaid your debt to society and that is the end of the matter - and for the great majority of people in the UK, it is: you only get punished once.

However, this does not apply to 'foreign nationals' without status in the UK, or 'foreign nationals' 'with status' I.E. Humanitarian Protection, Discretionary Leave, Indefinite Leave to Remain, Exceptional Leave to Remain, are Naturalized, these grants of status are just a licence and the Home Secretary has powers to revoke the status of anyone convicted and sentenced for a crime and does so at every given opportunity.

If any of the above commit a crime and are sentenced to a prison term of 12 months or more, irrespective of how long they have lived in the UK, no matter that they have very strong family ties, are at very serious risk of automatic deportation under provisions in the Immigration Act 2014 and the UK Borders Act 2007 in addition to any term of imprisonment. They will if deported also face an automatic ten year ban from applying to reenter the UK.

Therefore any 'foreign national' having completed a prison sentence will most certainly be punished a second time by being deported from the UK. Provisions in the <http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/22/contents/enacted>Immigration Act 2014 the <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2008/dec/16/uk-borders-act>UK Borders Act 2007, will mean that those cases where the Home Secretary has secured a deportation order the convicted foreign national can be deported before the end of their final release date.

There is no automatic right of appeal against deportation under the acts, but decision to deport can be challenged on Human Rights grounds I.E that separation from family members would be disproportionate, or that they would face torture and/or persecution in the designated country. However new powers in the Immigration Act 2014 will prevent them from using family life arguments to appeal the deportation order.

From 20/10/14 criminals will also no longer be able to appeal against a decision that their deportation is conducive to the public good. This is the most significant change to deportation appeals since 1971. Criminals will be deported and will not be able to appeal beforehand unless they face a real risk of serious irreversible harm. For those that do have an appeal right, they will only be able to appeal once.

However, those persons successfully challenging the deportation under the Immigration Act 2014 and the UK Borders Act 2007 and the Home Secretary then cannot remove them from the UK;

. . . . . they and their 'families may face severe deprivation under provisions of Part Ten of the <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/jan/13/criminal-justice-immigration-act>Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (CJIA), which received Royal Assent on 8 May 2008.

Under the provisions of the act, any foreign national convicted and sentenced to two years or more for an offence specified as serious (Home Secretary deems petty theft, criminal damage as serious); can be designated as having a 'special immigration status' and so can any member/s of his/her family. 'Special immigration status' will strip the offenders family of their immigration status, and the whole family can be refused the right to work, access to benefits, social housing, can be subject to curfew, electronic monitoring, dispersed from their habitual residence and will receive only the minimum of support, probably vouchers but definitely no cash.John O for 'No-Deportations' with profound acknowledgement to the late Steve Cohen &'Manifesto of the Campaign against Double Punishment'.

Family's /individuals who Campaign against Deportation and won.

2,703 attempted suicides across the UK Detention estate

Year

Number of attempts

2017

132 @ Q1

2016

341

2015

393

2014

353

2013

325

2012

208

2011

215

2010

183

2009

215

2008

179

2007

159

Since January 2007 there were over 19,883 persons on suicide watch across the UK Detention estate

Extended sentences are a type of determinate sentence which include two
parts. The first is a custodial term. The custodial term is like a determinate
sentence which means you serve some of it in prison and the remainder on
licence in the community, depending upon when you are released. The second part
is an extended period on licence in the community, as decided by the court.

Part of the reason for the confusion is that there have been several
types of extended sentences over the years, and changes made to these sentences
over time which impact on how and when you can be released from prison. The two
most recent types of extended sentence for adults are the Extended Sentence for
Public Protection (EPP) and the Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS).

The Extended Sentence for Public Protection (EPP) was introduced in April
2005 by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. It is also known as a ‘section 227 or
228’ extended sentence.

On an EPP, if you were sentenced after 4th April 2005 but before 14 July
2008 you will be eligible for Parole at the halfway point of your custodial
sentence. If you are not released by Parole you will be released automatically
at the end of your custodial term.

If you were sentenced on or after 14 July 2008 and convicted before 3
December 2012, you will be automatically released at the halfway point of your
custodial sentence.

Extended Determinate Sentences (EDS) were introduced in December 2012 by
the LAPSO Act. They replaced the Extended Sentences for Public Protection.

On an EDS, if you were sentenced before 13 April 2015 with a custodial
term of less than 10 years you will be released automatically at the two thirds
part of the custodial sentence.

If you were sentenced before 13 April 2015 with a custodial term of more
than 10 years you will be eligible for Parole at the two thirds stage of the
sentence. If you are not released by Parole you will be released automatically
at the end of your custodial term.

If you were sentenced on or after 13 April 2015 you will be eligible for
Parole at the two thirds stage of the sentence. If you are not released by
Parole you will be released automatically at the end of your custodial term.

It is important to note that changes to extended sentences are not
retrospective. This means that changes in the law that happened after you were
sentenced will not affect the type of sentence you have or when you will be
released.

Some of the questions we get about extended sentences are about
categorisation. PSI 40/2011 Categorisation and Recategorisation Of Adult Male
Prisoners has not been updated since introduction of EDS, but does mention EPP.
As with other sentences you should have your security category reviewed at
least once every 12 months, unless you are within 24 months of your earliest
release date, at which point you should get a review every 6 months. It could
also be reviewed earlier if there is a significant change in circumstances.

To be considered for open conditions, you will normally have to be
within two years of your earliest possible release. If your release is subject
to Parole this means within two years of your ‘Parole Eligibility Date’. If you
are released automatically this means within two years of your release date.
After you are released from custody you will be on licence for rest of the
custodial term plus the extended period decided by the court. You should make
sure you know what date your licence ends.

Whilst on licence you will have conditions that you will need to follow. If you
breach the conditions of your licence and you could be recalled to prison until
the end of your sentence, unless the Parole Board direct your release earlier.
This is called a ‘Standard Recall’. If you are serving an extended sentence or
extended determinate sentence you are not eligible to be considered for a 28
day recall, known as a ‘Fixed Term Recall’.

Our team have gathered information on this subject into an information
sheet for people on extended sentences. If this may be useful to you please get
in contact and we would be happy to send you a copy. Inside times

Approved Premises

This month we want to answer some common questions about a subject
we get many calls about—Approved Premises.

Approved premises (AP) are premises approved under Section 13 of the
Offender Management Act 2007. They provide intensive supervision for those who
present a high or very high risk of serious harm. They are mostly used
for people on licence, but also accommodate small numbers of people on bail,
community sentences or suspended sentences. As well as functioning as part of
monitoring and risk management, they provide key workers and a programme of
purposeful activity that is intended to help with reducing re-offending and
reintegration into society.

Whilst staying in Approved Premises you will be asked to follow certain
rules, including curfews, restrictions on visitors and taking part in
activities. You will be expected to take a drug or alcohol test if staff ask
you to and to allow staff to search your room and personal property. There is
more about these rules and other information in the ‘Approved Premises manual’
which is annex A of Probation Instruction 32/2014.

PI 32/2014 Approved Premises contains guidelines for probation staff
about making referrals, suggesting they are made sparingly and with careful
consideration. They should consider the person’s risk of serious harm and how
the placement would contribute to managing risk and reintegration back into the
community. They should also think about which premises and location would be
suitable.

Referrals to AP should always be for clear reasons and not used as a
default for people considered high risk. You should only be referred if ‘it is
clear that this level of monitoring and intensive activity are needed’.
Alternatives which may also be able to manage risks and needs should always be
explored, including curfews and electronic monitoring.

As placements are temporary and short term, your offender manager should
consider if the expected benefits are realistic in a short time. Residents can
be asked to leave at short notice if the space is needed and this can cause
difficulties, so placing lower-risk offenders in APs is not ideal.

The PI particularly discourages unnecessary referrals for people on
indeterminate sentences. It argues that release is usually based on their risk
of harm having reduced to a level where it can be managed safely in the
community, which generally means that they will be below the normal entry
threshold for AP residence. It further makes the point that
Indeterminate-sentence prisoners who have spent time in open conditions may find
AP residence a backwards step, as the level of security and control can often
be greater than in an open prison. They may also already have experience
of life back in the community through ROTL, which lessens the value AP
residence.

Approved Premises can offer some benefits to resettlement, such as
giving time and support to connect with local services to find accommodation or
employment. However, if your local connections are to an area far away from the
premises you are referred to, this benefit will be limited. Moving away from
your local area can also disrupt continuity of care for both physical and
mental health. Alternatives arrangements may be more suitable in cases
like these.

If your offender manager believes it necessary, they can include
residing in Approved Premises as part of the residence conditions of your
licence. Refusing to do so would be considered a breach of your licence and you
could be recalled. There is more information in PSI 12/2015 Licence Conditions,
Licences and Licence And Supervision Notices.

If you are aware that you are being referred to Approved Premises for
your release and are not happy about it, it is worth contacting your offender
manager to speak to them about it. If you are hoping to stay elsewhere, like
returning to live with family or friends, you should explain why you think this
would be better for your rehabilitation—for example if people that you will be
living with or near will be able to offer support. If the Approved Premises you
are being referred to is far away from your local area and will disrupt your
employment or move on opportunities or access to healthcare you should make
sure they are aware of this as well.

Even after you have shared your concerns with your offender manager,
they can still decide to refer you to Approved Premises. If you do not feel
that your offender manager is taking all aspects into account, or if you are
struggling to make contact to discuss the issue, you may wish to make a
complaint to your probation service.

Maintaining innocence in prison

The challenges of maintaining innocence in prison come up time and
time again though our advice and information service, as well as in the
mailbag of Inside Time. It can cause a number of difficulties in relation to
IEP level, categorisation as well as parole. Sadly there are not any easy
answers but there are a handful of references to this through the current
Prison Service Instructions (PSIs) which are useful to know and might help.

Incentives and Earned Privileges

People often tell us that they have been refused or lost enhanced
status because they are maintaining innocence. However, PSI 30/2013 Incentives
and Earned Privileges is clearthat maintaining innocence should
not automatically result in the reduction to your IEP level or to stop you
progressing. Instead it states that ‘it is a prisoner’s commitment to
rehabilitation, good behaviour and willingness to use their time in custody
constructively which should determine whether they meet required standards.’

Despite this, we are aware that it can be difficult to demonstrate
some of the criteria to progress, particularly if there are limited ways to
show commitment to rehabilitation other than to take part in offender
behaviour courses which require you to accept your conviction.

You should be given reasons for IEP decisions which must be enough to
understand which criteria you have not met and why. If you think the decision
has been made unfairly because you are maintaining innocence then you may
wish to make a complaint through the internal complaints system.

Categorisation

Similar to IEP, the fact that you are maintaining innocence should not
automatically exclude you from progressing to a lower category. Both PSI 40/2011
Categorisation and recategorisation of Adult Male Prisoners and PSI
39/2011 Categorisation and Recategorisation of Women Prisoners state
the following:

‘Prisoners who deny their guilt may have refused to undertake any
relevant offence-related work. While the establishment must proceed on
the basis that the prisoner is guilty of the offence for which he has been
convicted, the recategorisation review should consider whether there is other
evidence available which might indicate that the risk has been reduced
sufficiently to justify recategorisation to a lower security establishment.’

You should be given reasons for any categorisation decision and can
request a full explanation in writing. If you think your categorisation is
wrong or has not fully considered all evidence you can appeal via the
internal complaints system.

Sentence Planning

PSI 19/2014 Sentence planning states that ‘Plans must be
realistic and attainable in order to be effective in providing offenders with
an opportunity to address offending related factors and reduce risk.’

If you are maintaining innocence this will be relevant to courses
which require admission of the offence, such as the Sex Offenders Treatment
Programme (SOTP). If you are maintaining innocence an objective can still be
added to your sentence plan to take part in an assessment of suitability for
SOTP. However, you may be assessed as not ready because SOTP requires
analysis of the lead up to offences. You should not be expected to undertake
the course in this case.

If you are assessed as not ‘ready’ for a course such as SOTP, it can
still remain on your sentence plan as a future target in case your stance
changes or if a course becomes available that does not require admission of
your offence. Other objectives may be included in the meantime aimed at
addressing the readiness or other identified issues.

Parole

The Parole Board has to accept the court’s verdict so cannot assess
whether someone is guilty or not guilty - they have to assess risk. The
Parole Board cannot refuse to release someone just because they are
maintaining innocence.

PSI 36/2010 Serving the Indeterminate Sentence says that ‘a
prisoner who takes a full and active part in the risk assessment processes,
undertakes relevant interventions, addresses and reduces identified risk
factors and reduces the perceived level of risk of harm they pose to the
public, can potentially gain release at tariff expiry whilst still
maintaining their innocence or denying full or partial guilt for the actual
offence’.

However, people often report that it can be more difficult to show
evidence of a reduced risk of re-offending without completing offender
behaviour problems programmes. If you have an upcoming parole we advise
you to get a solicitor with experience in this area.

We have recently gathered information on the most common enquiries we
get into an information sheet for people maintaining innocence in prison. If
this may be useful to you please get in contact and we would be happy to send
you a copy.

Prison Reform Trust’s advice team at
FREEPOST ND6125 London EC1B 1PN. Our free information line is open Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday 3.30-5.30. The number is 0808 802 0060 and does not need
to be put on your pin.2017 by Ryan Harman. INSIDE TIMES

Mother
fighting to help her son make a fresh start says probation failures have left
him ‘high and dry’

The day last summer when Tracy Anderson’s son Riaz was released from prison should have been a joyful moment of relief for the Anderson family, but in hindsight they see it as the start of a nightmare when the justice system failed them.

Riaz, 20, had spent 13 months on remand at Glen Parva prison in Leicester, but when his case finally got to court, he was sentenced to 20 months for “violent disorder” and released, having already served more than half his sentence. By the time Riaz emerged from the cell beneath the Old Bailey late that August Friday afternoon, his solicitor had already gone home and there was neither a prison officer nor anybody from the probation service to explain his licence papers or what was meant to happen next.

Riaz had no money and no job, but he had one formidable ally: a fiercely protective ‘tiger mother’ who whisked him off to their east London flat.

Ms Anderson, 39, a single mother, immediately put in place the scaffolding her only son would need to ensure he never set foot inside a prison again. She enrolled him in a gym, made sure he signed up for Jobseeker’s Allowance, got him a mentor from peer mentoring charity Gangs Unite, and enrolled him into college to study business. “I also asked Riaz’s solicitor whether he would need to see probation and was told that if probation wanted to see my son, they would be in touch,” she said.

Ms Anderson thought nothing more of it until a month later when she heard banging on the door. “I opened it to find five police officers who said they’d come to recall Riaz to prison,” she said. “I was shocked. They said Riaz had been scheduled to see his probation officer on the Monday after his release and that because he hadn’t, he was in breach of his licence.

“We protested that nobody had told us about this appointment, but it made no difference: there was a police van waiting to take him away.”

For Riaz, it meant another seven months inside. “I was devastated,” he said. “I had served my time and learned my lesson but this felt not fair.”

Tears welled in Ms Anderson’s eyes as she recalled her feelings. “Inside I broke down,” she said. “But outside I had to stay strong to fight. I wrote to his mentor Colin James at Gangs Unite, I wrote to the charity’s patron Iain Duncan Smith, I wrote to our MP and I wrote to probation.

“I told them we had moved home since Riaz had first gone into prison and we never got any appointment letter from probation which must have been posted to our old address. I also learned that on the day Riaz was supposed to see his probation officer, no probation officer had been assigned, so anyway he would have been told to come back at a later date.”

Her persistence paid off and Riaz was let out in 41 days, but she was left with a bitter sense of injustice. “What about young people with no parents to fight their corner?” she said. “Riaz served three months more on his [first] imprisonment than he needed to because his case took so long to come to trial, and then he got sent back a second time for something that wasn’t his fault.”

Ms Anderson described how her son had been targeted by gangs and how she tried to protect him. “I remember the night it began in 2007 when Riaz was 13 and he came running through the door, shouting, ‘mum, I just been bust at [shot at]’. I thought, thank God he’s alive, it’s just a one-off, but that was the moment our lives changed.

WE started to hear of children being stabbed on our road. Later we heard about young people being killed. At first it seemed far away, but when young people you know are killed by other young people you know, it starts to become surreal. I worried every day that my son would be killed and I didn’t want him to go out, even to the shops. I gave up my job as a youth worker to make sure I was home for him.

“He and his friends were not angels, but they weren’t bad either. They would sometimes smoke, drink and make noise, but they didn’t break the law. Riaz is good with his hands and a talented dancer who has been in music videos. He’s also a loving, respectful son who wakes me in the morning, cooks me breakfast, tidies the flat.”

But at around 18 he changed, she admitted. “He became increasingly agitated that he had to defend himself the moment he stepped out and he started to carry a knife for protection. I begged him to leave it at home. Every time he went out I was a wreck with worry that he would get killed or do madness. Then one day the police were at the door to arrest him and my worst fears were realised.”

Visiting her son in prison and having to fight for his release were “the worst days of my life”, but “the nightmare is far from over,” she said. “Riaz’s licence expires in July which means that one slip from him before then and he will be sent back to prison.”

“I rarely see my probation officer,” Riaz said. “I am supposed to see [them] monthly and when I do they give me ten minutes max, but often they cancel my appointments without telling me. They don’t even bother to call. They make me travel all the way and then tell me it’s cancelled. But if I miss one appointment, just one, it’s back to prison for me.”

Ms Anderson brandished her son’s licence papers and pointed to a line that said: “The purposes of your supervision … are to protect the public, prevent you from re-offending and help you re-settle successfully into the community.”

“Lies,” she said, shaking her head in disgust.

“They are lax about keeping their side of the bargain and just make endless excuses about being too busy. Why should they get away with providing such a lousy service?

They should put the same level of effort into keeping him out as they did into recalling him to prison. They have not helped my son at all. It’s a failure of duty. They have left my son high and dry.”

Video calling technology should be made available to some prisoners so that they can stay in touch with family members unable to visit them, a review ordered by the government has suggested.

So-called “virtual visits” should be offered to inmates whose relatives are unable to attend jail because of illness, distance or other factors, according to the report.

It suggests Skype calls to encourage face-to-face contact for prisoners, including foreign nationals or the parents of young babies, as part of proposals to prevent reoffending.

Lord Farmer was commissioned last year to examine the importance of strengthening family ties in relation to reoffending rates. The peer found strong family relationships to be fundamental to change and “indispensable” for delivering the government’s plans for prison reform in England and Wales.

The prison system has seen levels of violence and self-harm surge as well as an increasing number of attacks on staff. Last month riots broke out at jails in Hertfordshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.

Research indicates that reoffending rates are 39% lower among prisoners who receive visits from a partner or relative compared to those inmates who did not have family contact.

The Farmer review found that while there are areas of good practice, there is “unacceptable inconsistency” on the issue of family links. It recommends that “virtual visits” would be appropriate for a small percentage of the prison population with relatives who cannot visit them regularly or at all.

“This would most likely include most foreign nationals, but also, for example, it might also be too disruptive for new babies, young children or teenagers studying for important exams to come into prison to visit at frequent intervals – but virtual visits would keep up the contact in the meantime,” the review found.

The blueprint cites a facility in Northern Ireland where prisoners have been making personal video calls. The initiative would ensure that those inside “do not become stuck in a technological dark age which will ill-equip them for life on the outside”.

Relatives should be able to call the prisons from their own homes without incurring any extra charges and should be given help with the technology if required, according to the report.

Lord Farmer’s findings also show that there is “little respect” for family ties when prisoner locations are determined. He warns that the role of family work is “under-recognised” in current policy and recommends that governors be held to account for family work outcomes.

The peer said: “My report is not sentimental about prisoners’ families, as if they can, simply by their presence, alchemise a disposition to commit crime into one that is law-abiding.

“However, I do want to hammer home a very simple principle of reform that needs to be a golden thread running through the prison system and the agencies that surround it. That principle is that relationships are fundamentally important if people are to change.”

The Ministry of Justice said it has already started developing a strategy for taking forward the review’s recommendations.

The justice secretary, David Lidington, said the government was committed to transforming prisons into places of safety and recognised the need to provide inmates with opportunities to change their behaviour.

He said there were numerous examples of good practice, adding: “We will continue work on a strategy to best support offender needs. That has to start with the numbers of prison officers available to support offenders, which is why we are increasing staffing numbers by 2,500.”

Data released last month showed there were 26,643 assaults in prisons in the year to March, including a record 7,159 attacks on staff, an average of 20 a day.Hannah Summers 10 August 2017

comments

Jez
It's a good idea but there are loads of things wrong in there right now. If this is all the government can come up with then lord help us all. To little to late. We need a drastic change in the prison environment for the better. We need a radical rethink on sentencing and a retrospective change to rid this inexcusable persistent persecution of people that simply want to get on with their lives. Mr Lidington you know what needs to be done, so it!Regarding probation recalling.The power of ones Mother can be significant. A typical story of heavy handed probation officers. First opportunity recall. Not his fault at all. Disgusting.

HortonAnd wow, they are increasing staff numbers by 2,500. Simply a drop in the ocean, when you think of how many more prisoners are now in the system than when all the staff cuts were made. The same tired old bleatings about ensuring that prisons are places of safety and reform. Talk is cheap. We've heard it all before. Real action is what is needed.HowellI got gated once! That's when they release you from prison just to arrest you again outside! I got rearrested for missing a court date ,while I was in jail!

Zing I got this threatening letter from probation, been out 4 years now, no offending, no re offending, or vdts in 11 years I did 7 out of a 2 year first offence guilty plea. I think the only causes for concern are probation, police , agitating me and stressing me out, put someone in a cage and poke them with a stick doesn't rehabilitate, they have no knowledge of anything that has actually proven to reduce reoffending.

CookeStay strong. You have done brilliantly so far.If Chris Grayling had not meddled with the prison service there would not be the shortage of staff that there is.Pettit I feel he is to blame for a lot of what is happening right now. and to reverse the damage would take a lot more money than the government are prepared to hand out. If they stopped tinkering about with the system and find alternatives to help the remaining IPP.s that would take some of the pressure of. Will they do it though. Of course not ,they are scared of public opinion and how it will affect their credibility.

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A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a very unique and precious stone in a small river. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her pack to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the special stone in the wise woman's bag, appreciated it, and asked the wise woman to give it to him. The wise woman did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good luck. He knew the stone was worth enough to live peacefully for the rest of his life. But a few days later he came back, searching for the wise woman. When he found her, he returned the stone and said, I have been thinking. I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back to you in the hope that you can give me something much more precious. If you can, give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.